SEPTEMBER 29, 2004

Ralf and Pizzonia

The BMW Williams team has decided to give Ralf Schumacher another chance in Japan, apparently because it was felt that the team partly to blame for delaying the decision about whether or not Ralf should complete the Chinese Grand Prix and although the team was not happy that he did not rejoin the race - and might theoretically, at least, have scored some points - it has been decided that the German will stay in the team in Japan. There is no doubt, however, that if Schumacher does something else that might damage the team's hopes in the Constructors' Championship he is unlikely to be treated so leniently.

Ralf's replacement would be Antonio Pizzonia although the Brazilian is currently out of action, having twisted his ankle falling down the stairs at his hotel in Shanghai. As a result Pizzonia is now resting rather than testing at Jerez de la Frontera and Williams had drafted in Olivier Beretta. Beretta has done a fair amount of testing in Williams cars in recent years as a test driver for Michelin, although the work is usually carried out away from the public eye.